


Exemption

by Ostodvandi



Series: EliHec week 2019 [3]
Category: Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken | Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword
Genre: "why are you like this" said hector, Angst, M/M, to himself
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2020-01-04 07:05:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18338609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ostodvandi/pseuds/Ostodvandi
Summary: Suddenly, the nightmares won't stop coming. Holding Eliwood in his arms, Hector makes a hopeless wish.





	Exemption

**Author's Note:**

> Oho. I love crying and being ded.
> 
> Day 3 of EliHec week in which anyone who didn't choose curse is a coward and I respect them for not putting themselves through this. Though this can also be comfort in a way I guess!!

Armads was in front of him again.

The walls of the cave, Durban’s deep voice and scarred hands, how heavy the air felt. Hector remembered Durban’s words perfectly, as he did his own reply. He would help Eliwood, no matter what happened to him in the end, because Eliwood was his friend. And he also was the person he loved.

His hand grasped Armads’ handle, and felt the power flowing through his body again, and with it, the curse. It was like his blood had gotten heavier for a second, and a bad omen had settled on Hector’s heart, staying there until it stopped beating.

He looked back, momentarily blinded by the light that came through the opening of the cave. It was strange, because he’d have sworn the entrance was further than that, but he didn’t question if further. Armads felt like a feather in his hand, but the heaviness in his chest stayed, the curse flowing through him.

Eliwood was waiting right there, holding Durandal in a solemn, knightly way. Straightened back, purposeful, kind.

And he was frowning. His blue eyes stared at Hector in a way he couldn’t quite identify, an emotion he had never seen on him after years. Eliwood was angry, frustrated, sad, he…

Did he know about Armads’ curse? The thought alone made it hard to breathe.

‘Why?’ his voice was heavy, and it seemed to reverberate with the world itself. ‘Why did you do it?’

He did. He knew. And he was hurt. And the thought alone gripped at Hector’s heart.

‘Eliwood, I-’

But Eliwood continued talking, as if Hector’s voice couldn’t reach him. ‘I didn’t want anyone to die because of my problems!’ He walked closer to him, and only then Hector noticed his blue eyes were teary. ‘I didn’t want anyone to die! You knew this! Why would you accept that for me?!’

Armads suddenly felt heavier in his hand.

He couldn’t breathe. There was something pressing his chest, blocking his lungs. A slight dizziness forced him to lean on the cave entrance. ‘Because I-’

This couldn’t be real. There was no way this was real, there was no way Eliwood would know about the curse. Only he and Durban…

‘Hector!’

Eliwood repeated his name, and the dizziness became more intense. “He knows,” Hector thought. And that was more dire than accepting he’d die on the battlefield.

An all too familiar voice calls for him through the layers of the dream.

‘Hector!’

 

* * *

 

 

Hector finally opens his eyes, still mumbling something Eliwood can’t catch. His face is sweating, and his hands are shaking, but at least he’s finally awake.

‘It’s alright. Hector, I’m right here.’

His hands caress his husband’s face, and his touch and voice seem to help him calm down. Hector grabs Eliwood’s arms, clinging to him as if he were his lifeline, trying to focus on his face even in the darkness.

This is his Eliwood. The man that has been his husband for so many years. The man that doesn’t know about the curse.

Hector lies down slowly, putting a hand in his chest. It feels like his heart could jump out of his chest at any given moment, and the gesture seems to scare Eliwood.

‘Are you alright? You were screaming strange things... ’

‘Mmmh.’ Hector breathes in a couple times, trying to find the best words to say. ‘Just… A n-nightmare, you know…’ Eliwood’s hand covers his, and the weight of his husband’s body stays by his side. ‘It was a tough one.’

It takes a while, but Eliwood finally lies down by his side again, and Hector takes the chance to squeeze him into a hug. Eliwood huffs, searching for Hector’s face with his hand again. ‘Do you want to talk about it?’

‘...No.’ This is not the first time he says this, but Eliwood still doesn’t try anything else. It weighs on his mind, and he still can’t decide if it’s immature or wise of him to keep this from Eliwood. There’s nothing else he could possibly keep secret from him of all people, but…

‘I’m sorry for waking you up.’

‘You know it’s fine, love.’ Their lips meet in a soft, long kiss that manages to temporarily dissipate any troubles in Hector’s mind. The warmth of Eliwood’s mouth on his is familiar, comforting, and Hector sighs happily when the touch disappears.

Eliwood sighs as well, but goes back to being his worrywart self a second after. ‘How many of these have you had lately?’

Hector groans. ‘I don’t know. More than I’d like.’

The true answer was way too many.

‘Have you been overworking yourself?’

‘That’s a thing you do, not me.’ Eliwood huffs, and Hector smiles teasingly, and kisses his nose in an attempt to reach this lips. ‘Not usually, at least…’

‘Something is on your mind, then…’

‘It’s fine.’ Hector quickly repeats, and buries his nose on that messy red hair. There’s no need to discuss the contents of those nightmares, even if he hates hiding things from Eliwood. ‘Let’s go back to sleep…’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Mmmh.’ Hector draws circles on Eliwood’s back, and feels Eliwood’s body relax on his arms at the touch. When he tries to do the same, the contents of the nightmare come back to his mind, fresh and clear like an open wound.

But if he accepted Armads, it was because he wanted to protect this. These moments of small happiness with Eliwood, this future in which they’ve found a family in each other. Their children.

It’s not that Eliwood wouldn’t understand, because Hector knows he’d probably do the same, and he knows Hector more and better than anyone else in the world. He would understand. But he wouldn’t like to accept it. And was it really fair to put him through that when there was no solution in sight? It wouldn’t…

Hector sighs, tired of his never ending internal turmoil. If Uther were here, maybe he’d give him the right answer for this stupid dilema.

The thought of the curse happening soon makes his stomach twist in sheer anxiety, but he had to be ready for it. It’s his responsibility to bear.

‘I’m going back to sleep, love…’ his voice sounds sleepy and slow, soft next to Hector’s grim thoughts.’ Call me if you need something, mmh?’

‘Sure, Eli.’ he nuzzles his hair again, rubbing his back slowly. ‘Good night, pumpkin.’

Eliwood snorts weakly, almost already giving into the sleep. ‘Good night…’

Soon, his breathing becomes slower, and his body has relaxed completely. Hector leaves a kiss on his hair, and holds him close, as close as possible. Eliwood’s warmth can’t undo the curse, that is a thing only in the fairytales they used to tell Roy and Lilina in the past, but Hector silently wishes that at least one of them would become true for once. He is way past the age of wishing for such childish things, but a small wish like that, done deep in the night, can’t possibly hurt. And so, he wishes as hard as he can that someone out there would exempt him from his responsibility for just one more time.

‘I love you, pumpkin.’


End file.
